Garment display form



J1me 1966 J. LEVENSON ETAL 3,253,180

GARMENT DISPLAY FORM Filed May 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l N VEN TORS 0776A LEVEMSOA/ Lao/s GEL M1941 4770 ev/zys June 28, 1966 J. LEVENSON ETAL 3,258,180

GARMENT DISPLAY FORM Filed May 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F f/ y 1N VENTORS 7790K (EVE/V504! V Laws GAY/741V mpm United States Patent 3,258,180 GARMENT DISFLAY FORM Jack Levenson and Louis Gelman, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignors to Neet A Pak Products, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,822 2 Claims. (Cl. 223-68) The present invention relates generally to an improved garment display form, and more particularly to a garment display form of cardboard or similar paper construction which is economically mass produced and functions effectively as a three dimensional configuration in the shaping of garments.

The use of cardboard forms as aids in shaping garments to improve the appearance of such garments is well known. As is generally understood, these forms function in an obvious manner to impart the shape in which they are embodied to the garments in which they are employed. From this viewpoint, it is therefore desirable to provide sufficient constructural features to said forms to enable the achievement of a three dimensionad configuration presenting appropriate surface curvature for garment shaping purposes. On the other hand, however, complicated or numerous constructural features often results in a prohibitive cost of manufacture and in tedious assembly operations. Present-1y known garment display forms do not adequately satisfy both these requirements.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object to provide a garment display form which is economically mass produced by die-cutting, and subsequently adapted to be assembled such that from the flat it is projected into a three dimensional configuration which is effective for shaping garments.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an essentially flat garment display form which is adapted to be readily assembled into a three dimensional shaped configuration to provide a desirable overt shape to a garment, and which further is combinable with other shaping materials for specific shaping of said garment.

A garment display form demonstrating features of the present invention is one which specifically lends itself to economical mass production by being die-cut from cardboard or similar materials of construction. Said display form is more particularly produced as a cardboard article having a central panel and opposite side panels extending laterally of the opposite edges of said central panel. Each of the side panels is provided with cooperating means at their respective free ends for interengaging or connecting the side panels to each other at said respective free ends. An important constructural feature of the display form which contributes to its novel functioning is the proportioning of the central panel relative to said side panels. In this connection, the two side panels are adapted in practice to fold behind the central panel preparatory to being interengaged with each other. The Width that is provided the central panel is made sufiiciently larger than the total widths of the two side panels so that when said side panels are interengaged it is necessary to draw said side panels towards each other which in turn forces the central panel to project out of the plane of said side panels. This in turn results in the form assuming a three dimensional configuration which is effective for shaping garments, particularly the bodice of a dress. Additionally, the central panel of the form is provided with appropriate gripping means for gripping shaping material such as tissue paper to further provide a simulated bust line or shape to said dress bodice.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless 3,258,130 Patented June 28, 1966 illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vertically suspended garment having a display form demonstrating features of the present invention in a position shaping the bodice of said garment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of said display form in the flat;

FIG. 3 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2, and further showing one of the side panels of said form folded back against the central panel thereof preparatory to projecting said form into a three dimensional configuration;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of said display form as a three dimensional configuration and with said side panels interengaged with each other;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 but from another vantage point;

FIG. 6 is a plan view in section taken on line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of said form, in position within a garment, and in section taken on line 77 of FIG. 5.

Having reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 4 and 1, there is shown respectively in said figures an assembled garment display for-m, generally designated 10, demonstrating features of the present invention and a specific end-use of said form 10 to provide shape to the bodice 12 of a dress 14. To warrant the expense of the display form 10, even though such expense is minimal, dress 14 in practice is most apt to be an expensive formal garment. It is usually commercially desirable to present such a garment in a condition having a favorable appearance at the time of delivery by a dry cleaning establishment or similar concern. This favorable appearance is provided, in part, by vertically suspending the dress 14 by the straps 16 on a hangar 18, and is achieved primarily by the form 10 which provides a curvature widthwise across the bodice 12, a simulated bust line in said bodice 12, and additionally a fullness in the lower portion or skirt 20 of said dress 14.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 2-6, it will be better understood how the display form 10 achieves this desirable result, and yet represents an economical cardboard article lending itself to mass production by die cutting, and requiring minimal assembly and handling. As best shown in FIG. 2, said display form 10 includes a central panel 22 having side panels 24, 26 integral thereto and extending laterally in opposite directions from the opposite side edges 28 of said panel 22. Each of the side panels 24, 26 are provided with appropriate cooperating means for interengaging or connecting said side panels 24, 26 to each other, said means in the illustrated embodiment including tabs 30 on the free end of the side panel 24 and a plurality of spaced slots 32 for engaging with said tabs 30 starting at the free end of said side panel 26 and extending inwardly thereof towards the central panel 22.

An essential constructural feature of the form 10 which contributes to its novel functioning is the proportioning of said central panel 22 relative to the side panels 24, 26. As may best be appreciated by a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 4, the design of the central panel 22 contemplates the provision of a predetermined width W for such panel. In comparison to such dimension W, the total dimension or distance D allowed for the side panels 24, 26, as measured from the score lines 34 along the panel edges 28 to the connection of said side panels 24, 26 at their respective free ends, is less than said dimension W. As a consequence, in the joining of the side panels 24, 26 to each other the larger dimension central panel 22 must project out of the plane of said side panels 24, 26 and into a three dimensional configuration. As a three dimensional configuration, the central panel 22 of the form 10 has a smooth curvature from one opposite edge 28 to the other, and this curvature is transmitted in an obvious manner to the bodice 12 of the dress 14 when said form 10 is in its operative position within the interior of said dress and with said bodice 12 overlying said central panel 22.

In addition to overt body curvature, the form 10 is also effective to provide a simulated bust-curvature to said bodice 12. To this end there are provided identical gripping means, generally designated 36, at strategic locations in said central panel 22, and each being effective to grip stuffing material such as tissue paper P, to produce a simulated bust line or shape 12a in the dress bodice 12 as best shown in FIG. 7. In the position illustrated in FIG. 7, the volume occupied by the form 10 will be understood to be slightly in excess of the interior volume of the dress bodice 12 so that there is frictional engagement between said form 10 and the fabric of the dress 14. A further feature of the form 10 consists of the provision of lateral slots 38 along the bottom edge thereof which in practice are effective to hold sheets of tissue paper P which provide a desirable fullness to the skirt 20 of the dress 14.

Returning again to FIG. 2, it will be seen that a preferred form for each of the gripping means 36 consists of an opening 40 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced die cuts 42 thereabout which are effective to delineate a plurality of tabs 34. Tissue paper P when stuffed through the opening 40 is gripped and held by the tabs 44 in an obvious manner. Operating in a somewhat similar manner is the interengaging means for the side panels 24, 26 employing the tabs 30 and notches or slots 32 for connecting the one side panel to the other. The tabs 30 are received in the slots 32 and are effective to join side panels 24, 26 to each other in an obvious manner. It should be noted that a series of slots 32 are formed to provide some selection in the amount of curvature which it is desired to impart to the central panel 22, the slots closest to said central panel 22 providing a smaller distance D and therefore a correspondingly greater curvature in said central panel 22.

From the foregoing description, it should be readily appreciated that the display form 10 represents a novel article of manufacture which can be economically mass produced in the flat by die-stamping, and which form thereafter is adapted to readily assume a three dimensional configuration necessary for providing shape to the garment in which it is employed. Although described herein in particular reference to a dress, it is intended 5 that the form 10 be used with other garments, and also 1. A garment display form comprising a central panel adapted in practice to be positioned beneath an area of 3 a garment for shaping said garment area, said central panel having a predetermined width and spaced gripping means formed therein by an opening in said central panel and a plurality of gripping tabs circumferentially spaced about said opening, said tabs being adapted to grip shaping materials stuffed in said opening for simulating a bustcurvature on said garment display form, and side panels extending laterally of the opposite sides of said central panel, said side panels having interengaging means thereon for connecting the one side panel to the other at their respective free ends, said interengaging means being respectively located on said side panels at distances from said respective opposite sides of said central panel which total less than said predetermined width of said central panel wherein the interengagement of said side panels produces a curvature in said central panel for shaping said garment area overlying said central panel.

2. A garment display form as defined in claim 1 wherein said side panel interengaging means consists of a tab on one of said side panels and a plurality of spaced slits for engaging said tab on said other side panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,196,943 9/1916 Gilkerson 223-87 1,242,703 10/1917 Kolbert 22387 2,004,098 6/ 1935 Andrews 22987 X 2,610,774 9/1952 Calder 22383 2,649,957 8/1953 Gapstur 20645.l4 2,756,911 7/1956 Kantor et al. 223-68 2,805,803 9/1957 Wallis 22368 FOREIGN PATENTS 158,500 8/ 1954 Australia.

0 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT DISPLAY FORM COMPRISING A CENTRAL PANEL ADAPTED IN PRACTICE TO BE POSITIONED BENEATH AN AREA OF A GARMENT FOR SHAPING SAID GARMENT AREA, SAID CENTRAL PANEL HAVING A PREDETERMINED WIDTH AND SPACED GRIPPING MEANS FORMED THEREIN BY AN OPENING IN SAID CENTRAL PANEL AND A PLURALITY OF GRIPPING TABS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ABOUT SAID OPENING, SAID TABS BEING ADAPTED TO GRIP SHAPING MATERIALS STUFFED IN SAID OPENING FOR SIMULATING A BUSTCURVATURE ON SAID GARMENT DISPLAY FORM, AND SIDE PANELS EXTENDING LATERALLY OF THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTRAL PANEL, SAID SIDE PANELS HAVING INTERENGAGING MEANS THEREON FOR CONNECTING THE ONE SIDE PANEL TO THE OTHER AT THEIR RESPECTIVE FREE ENDS, SAID INTERENGAGING MEANS BEING RESPECTIVELY LOCATED ON SAID SIDE PANELS AT DISTANCES FROM SAID RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTRAL PANEL WHICH TOTAL LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED WIDTH OF SAID CENTRAL PANEL WHEREIN THE INTERENGAGEMENT OF SAID SIDE PANELS PRODUCES A CURVATURE IN SAID CENTRAL PANEL FOR SHAPING SAID GARMENT AREA OVERLYING SAID CENTRAL PANEL. 